The Tartan

by Mirren Hibbert
Staffwriter

On April 17, the Undergraduate Student Senate General Body Meeting opened with an unexpected start: a contested election for Senate President. Several attendees had anticipated current president Francesca Cain would run unopposed for reelection. However, Daniel Yin, a newly elected senator for the 2025–2026 school year, stepped forward as a candidate.

Yin was the first to deliver his speech. In his opening, Yin explained how he initially ran for Senate remarking, “I ran unopposed while having one of the worst platforms ever.” He explained that his campaign was based on the idea that he, like many students, didn’t understand the role of the Senate — highlighting what he described as a broader communication issue. Yin emphasized concerns about transparency and what he called “failures” in communication between the Senate and the student body. Yin claimed that “None of the General Body Meetings are communicated to the student body,” and “the student body isn’t told any of the proposals being voted on.” He pledged that, if elected, he would work to make the Senate more communicative and approachable.

The meeting then moved into a questioning period for Yin. The first question focused on Yin’s earlier admission that he didn’t know what the Senate does. A senator asked how he planned to lead effectively under those circumstances. Yin responded that he understood the needs of the student body. 

Another senator asked “If you know how Student Government works, how should it work?”. Yin replied that the question felt like a “pop quiz” on the Senate’s committee structure.

Senator Johnny Gallick mentioned in the lead up to his question that, despite being a Senator, Yin was minimally active in the Senate, including not attending the open-to-the-public Thursday meetings. Gallick asked what leadership experience qualified Yin for the role. Yin replied that he had a lab conflict during the fall semester that prevented him from attending, but did not provide a reason for his absence during his freshman or sophomore years or during the current spring semester. 

He then stated, “I have plenty of leadership experience as president of KGB.” When asked how he planned to balance his role as president of KGB with the responsibilities of Senate President, Yin revealed that he was no longer president of KGB.

Cain then took the floor. She outlined her leadership history both within and beyond the Senate. Having joined as a freshman, she has previously served in multiple roles — sergeant-at-arms, advocacy chair, and, eventually, president. 

During her time as president, she implemented and enforced a strict attendance policy that she said had helped encourage different voices at each meeting. She also highlighted increased media coverage in The Tartan, and her efforts to build voter engagement by working with both the Carnegie Mellon College Democrats and College Republicans during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Cain also helped organize last weekend’s Carnegie Mellon Republicans vs. Democrats debate and shared her goal to make it an annual event. She concluded her speech by stating, “This role has truly become a passion … I am honored to be considered for reelection.”

During her questioning period, Cain was asked how she planned to incorporate the voices of new senators. She responded that she would focus on improving the onboarding process and would encourage executive committee chairs to engage new members through hands-on projects.

Another senator brought up Yin’s comments about transparency and asked if she believed it was an issue. Cain responded that she has been holding monthly writing sessions to produce email blasts that keep the student body informed on Senate initiatives.

Sanjeev Naiek, Operational Committee Chair, asked her if she could change one thing about the Senate for the future — something that either the Senate or she personally hasn’t done well enough — what would it be? 

Cain responded that she would focus on increasing engagement across the entire Senate body and ensuring that all members feel confident contributing to discussions.

A general discussion followed, during which several senators voiced their opinions about the candidates. Thomas Xiao stated, referring to Yin’s campaign “You apply to be an intern, not the CEO of Meta.”

Senators then cast votes with anonymous ballots, and subsequently, Cain was officially declared the Undergraduate Student Senate’s President for the 2025–2026 school year.